Orphaned heart
by Katiemc1513
Summary: After an unfortunate event, Santana is forced to move to New York City to live with her aunt. Can the bubbly blonde from the floor above her help her open up and let go of her despair or will Santana only close herself off more?
1. Chapter 1

It wasn't supposed to happen life this. Not to me. I've spent all my life doing everything right, haven't I? Is this punishment? But for what? A child's worst fear, burying their parents. Sure I've thought about how it might be sixty years from now. My dad, grey but still young at heart, telling horrible stories about me to his grandchildren. My mom, chiding him relentlessly with the ghost of her youth in her eyes. But now that fantasy has been ripped from me cold-blooded.

It's been a week since the day, but I can still see the two lifeless bodies lying in the too bright hospital room, side by side. I kept insisting it wasn't them, that is was just a nightmare I wasn't able to wake up from. I vaguely remember the nurses patronizing looks of pity, but the words they spoke were drowned out by the two words replaying in my head uttered merely moments before by the head surgeon. "I'm sorry."

I'm actually not sure why I didn't cry then. Again, somewhere far away, a nurse muttered the word shock. That was the first time I felt the urge to get violent. I whipped my head around and glared at the nurse, only to get a small smile and another look of pity that I didn't appreciate at all.

"Of course I'm in shock," I replied angrily. "My parents dead bodies are in the room behind me!" I finished, breathing heavily as something strange began happening to me. I couldn't move. A noise filled my ears, like the sound of an irksome fly buzzing around inside my head. No matter how many times I shook my head the buzzing kept on. I don't know how long I stood there in silent turmoil. It could have been a few minutes or hours but before I knew what was happening I was being guided out of the hospital into a police car.

The ride seemed to last seconds as I was corralled out of the car into an empty house. Could I even call this place home anymore without my parents here? I tried to listen to the officer who was speaking seriously beside me. I caught a few words like "underage, mother's sister, and counselor." They were crazy if they thought I needed any type of counseling but I couldn't find my words to argue with the man. I just stood silently, all actions taken from me.

The next few days were a blur to me. People came in and out of the house all day long. They all kept asking if I was okay. I would answer yes, but everyone knew I was lying. I was just tired. Before I knew it, it was the day of the funeral. Don't get me wrong, it was a nice service. I was quite surprised at the amount of people that came to show their respects to my parents. In hindsight, I should have known that two of the most respected people in Lima, my mother being a lawyer and my father the best surgeon at Lima General Hospital, would have gained a lot of supporters throughout the years.

After the service went from person to person, numbly being hugged, smothered even, but I had no energy to object. When everyone else left the cemetery, I finally just let myself _feel_. Sobs wracked my body and the tears I had refused to shed for days, came pouring down my burning cheeks. I wept loudly. The angry profanities that streamed from my lips soon turned into desperate begging. Asking anyone or anything to have my mom hold me or my dad crack a joke to make me smile. Not surprisingly it never came. The silence was only broken by the sound of birds chirping in the trees behind me. I wiped my cheeks and slowly composed myself, took one last look at the fresh mound of dirt in front of the giant slab of marble and slowly walked to my car. During my slow trip, I finally realized that I'd be heading back into an empty house. That notice started the stinging in my eyes again as a few errant tears ran down my face once more. With a deep breath, I shut off the vehicle and got out of the car and walked slowly up the driveway and entered the house.


	2. Chapter 2

As I entered the empty house, I muttered a quiet thank you for the silence being alone afforded me after being surrounded by people all day long. I stood in the entry way for a moment before deciding to go upstairs and take a nap. I walked right by my room, swiftly entering my parent's bedroom. I smiled sadly as I looked at the family portrait hanging above the dresser and made my way to the giant bed. I grabbed a pillow and pulled it into my grasp, inhaling deeply."It still smells like them," was my last thought before drifting into a restless sleep.

A loud noise from downstairs whole me up from my dream, or should I say nightmare? The same dream I've been having since that terrible day. Sweating slightly, I made my way off the bed and crept downstairs toward the sound of someone knocking heavily on the door. I passed the hallway mirror and frowned as I saw my disheveled look in the mirror but shrugged lightly and continued down the hallway. As I neared the door, the sound of keys made me stop. I heard the click from the key and the door swung open quickly, revealing my aunt Maria with a determined look on her face that reminded me of my mother's which quickly changed to relief as she saw me standing in front of her. I just barely saw the look of misery pass through her face before she masked her pain and looked me up and down slowly.

"Well mija," she smirked, "you look like shit," she finished with a small chuckle.

"Fuck you," I countered back with a small smile as I reached forward to engulf my favorite aunt in a hug.

My aunt Maria is my mother's younger sister. They both share strikingly similar features, right up to the exact same shade of twinkling brown eyes. The thought of the similarities forced my eyes from hers.

"Santana," she said slowly, noticing my hesitation, she lifted my chin so I could meet her eyes once more.

"I'm fine," I said quickly, lowering my gaze to the floor.

"Bullshit," she replied easily. "Don't act like you are because I know you." I looked up and met her eyes once more. "And you know what," she continued, "there isn't anything wrong with not being fine, mija."

It was true. My aunt Maria was more like a sister to me than my aunt. She is only eleven years older than I am so we kind of grew up together in a way. She knew more about me than I knew myself some days so I knew it was no use trying to put on the same façade I had been wearing for the previous days. I dropped my head again as fresh tears welled up in my already tired eyes. Before the first sob could tear out of my chest, she gathered me in her arms and guided me to the couch and squeezed me tightly.

"Let it out, Hermosa," she whispered quietly. I don't know how long we sat there in each other's embrace but for the first time since that day, I felt the comfort and warmth I had been craving. Before I knew what was happening, I drifted off into a rare, peaceful slumber as my only family member lightly kissed the top of my head.

I awoke several hours later to the smell of spices and herbs wafting in from the kitchen. Was it all just a dream?" I thought to myself. Confused, I pulled off the blanket that somehow found its way over me and made my way toward the kitchen to find not my mother like I thought, but my aunt standing at the stove looking at me with a small smile.

"Paella," she said as she piled the savory dish onto a place, "your favorite." She filled her plate and brought them over to the table and sat down, gesturing wordlessly to the plate. "Sit down and eat," she finished sternly. Silently I made my way over to the table and sat down.

"Mija," she began slowly, "your mother was and still is my best friend. Nothing will ever change that. We're both hurting right now, but she made me promise a long time ago." I looked up and saw that same look of fierce determination on her face again. "She made me promise that if anything ever happened to her or your father, that I'd do anything in my power to protect you, to care for you and love you," she finished with tears in her eyes.

"You do that already," I replied with a small smile.

"Thank you mija, that means a lot of me, but now I have to do more for you," she finished uncharacteristically timid.

"What's going on," I asked worriedly, noticing her change in demeanor.

"It's just," she paused, looking down at her fingers, "you're only sixteen, so you can't be responsible for yourself."

"No!" I yelled and stood quickly. "Don't let them take me away. I what they do to kids like me. I'm not an orphan!" I screamed as I paced back and forth, wildly exclaiming in Spanish. I was so lost in my rage and worry that I barely head my aunt yelling to get my attention.

"Santana," she said, taking my hand forcing me to stop. "What do you mean by them?" she asked confusedly.

"Foster care, dammit!" I finally voiced what had been nagging me for the last week. "They're going to take me away," I continued only stopping when I saw the amused look on my aunt's face. "Jesus Christ!" I yelled, "Stop looking at me like that, it's not funny!"

"I can't help it," she giggled, "I just think it's funny that you're going completely crazy over nothing."

"NOTHING?" I yelled back as I began pacing the kitchen once more while swearing under my breath.

"Santana Marie!" she spoke loudly as she stood up, "you're not going into foster care!" I stopped, surprised.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "You said I couldn't stay here," I finished, furrowing my brow.

"You're right," she stated casually and I felt my chest deflate. "I was hoping you would come with me," she finished nervously. My jaw dropped. My aunt lived in New York City. "I'm serious, mija," she said reading my disbelief. "I've already talked my landlord into moving me into a bigger apartment."

"Really?" I asked excitedly, the first time in the past week. "Wait," I paused, narrowing my eyes, "you already talked to your landlord? How'd you know I'd say yes?"

"Come on Santana," she laughed, "did you just miss the whole freak out that happened three minutes ago about foster care," she finished using air quotes.

"Damn she is so right," I thought to myself. "But what about the house," I said. "And all of my…the stuff?" I finished lamely.

The smile on my aunt's face was wiped off and replaced with the determined look once more.

"That's why I'm here," she said matter-of-factly.

We silently agreed and headed up to get ready for bed. Just as my aunt heading into my parents room with her suitcase I stopped her.

"Uhm…I…." I stammered out nervously. She turned around with a sad smile and wheeled her suitcase into my room instead without saying a word.

Thankful for the room for the night, I took a shower in my parent's bathroom. I made sure to use my dad's body wash. I started thinking back to what my mom used to say.

" _Javier," Anita smiled after I commented on my dad's smell as I hugged him, "you know that teenage boys use that type of soap!"_

" _Duh," Javier replied without missing a beat. "Why do you think I use it?" he finished, winking slyly to me as my mother shook her head and turned around as I laughed out loud._

I wiped a few tears that had leaked from the corners of my eyes as I dried off and changed into one of my dad's old sweatshirts and climbed into bed, trying not to think of the painful day ahead.


	3. Chapter 3

"Mija, wake up," my aunt said as she gently shook me out of my slumber. "Time to get up." Blinking slowly, I sat up and reached for my glasses. There was no way I could force my contacts into my already swollen eyes. I stretched and yawned as my aunt walked back out into the hallway and said, "Dress comfy Santana, we've got a lot to do today."

I decided to keep my dad's sweatshirt on and threw on a pair of comfortable sweatpants. Sighing to myself, I walked into the kitchen where my aunt sat cross legged on the floor, labelling boxes. She began explaining the game plan as I made up a bowl of lucky charms and poured myself a cup of coffee that, thankfully, she brewed.

"There's a boxes for stuff to keep, donate and to put into storage," she explained, gesturing about the room which was already steadily filling with boxes. "All the furniture is fairly new so we are going to sell it," she finished with a nod. Seeing the look of protest on my face she quickly said, "We can't fit it all into the apartment and the house is going to be sold." I reluctantly agreed as I put my now empty cereal bowl into the sink. "Also, we are going to have a meeting with your parent's lawyer to discuss the selling of the house, but that'll be later on this evening."

All of this was happening really fast and I was trying to wrap my head around it. I looked once more at my aunt's determined face and steadied myself with a deep breath. Two hours passed by relatively quickly and quietly, but the silence had started getting to me so I walked over to the stereo and tuned on some background music.

"Every single picture on the walls is staying with me," I said as I looked around at the many pictures of my parents and me around the walls, "or at least in storage. Except for these monstrosities," I frowned, pointing to all of my school photo's all the way back to preschool.

My aunt laughed heartily, "Good, those are for me anyways," she finished, sticking her tongue out at me as she neatly piled them into the 'keep' box.

"Really?" I groaned loudly. "Those aren't going to be plastered all over the damn apartment! It's bad enough I had to look at them here too!" She just laughed and shook her head good naturedly. Two more hours went by and we had sorted the entire living room, minus the furniture, into boxes.

Looking at the clock, Maria said, "why not stop and grab some lunch, mija?" I nodded my head because my stomach had just started to growl menacingly within the last half hour. "Go get dressed," she nodded towards the stairs, "we need a break."

"Only if we can get Chinese," I joked as I ran up the stairs to change. Twenty minutes later we made our way out the door into my aunt's car and drove to the Chinese buffet. After eating our fill in mostly comfortable silence, she paid the bill and we got back to the car.

Looking around at my aunt's car, a question suddenly struck me. "What about my car?" I asked out loud.

"Well," Maria began, "it's already all paid off. At this point it is up to you."

I really love my car. It's not too flashy on the outside but my dad and I put a lot into the interior together, from custom upholstered seats to a sound system to die for. Knowing that driving in NYC would be hard I was torn.

Maria, reading my hesitation quickly added, "We do have a private parking garage for residents, it is very safe."

"Okay," I breathed out in relief, "I'll keep it." Excited with the prospect of keeping my car I walked back into the house less wary of the prospect of packing.

Four seemingly endless days later, we were packing my room up for the big move on the weekend. As I was loading my suitcase, my phone buzzed from my empty nightstand. Sighing to myself, I opened the text, the fourth one I had received today.

Quinn: Hey

Quinn: What are you up to?

Quinn: Are you still packing? When are you leaving?

Quinn: Hello?

A voice from the doorway drew my attention away from the phone in my hand, "Mija," Maria started from the hallway, "are you going to reply this time?" I looked back to my phone sadly. "She's your best friend. You're not going to see her before you leave?" she asked knowing instantly who was on the other side of the line.

"That's just it," I replied sadly. "I don't want to say goodbye," I finished dejectedly.

Maria sighed softly and moved into the room to sit beside her niece. "Santana," she began, "this is not goodbye."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I replied defensively. "It's not going to be the same anymore," I said as I looked around the mostly empty room angrily.

"Is anything?" Maria asked quietly, stopping me from my usual angry rant. "Mija," she started carefully, "things are changing and not for the best reason. But one thing it's shown me is that life is too short to not surround yourself with the people you love," she finished sincerely as she stood up and walked out of my room leaving me to my thoughts.

She was right. Kayla was my best friend. It's true that I have been distancing myself from her since the accident. Actually I had been distant with everyone except my aunt Maria. I had gotten several texts and calls from a few of my other friends but have been ignoring them. Thinking about what my aunt had just said, I reached over and grabbed my cell phone and typed a text out to Kayla.

Me: Want to get a coffee?

Quinn: Sure. Meet u in 20?

With that, I pocketed my phone and checked my hair before I headed downstairs. I put my shoes on and grabbed my keys. "See you in a little while," I yelled out as I closed the door behind me.


	4. Chapter 4

***Update! Sorry about the change in name from Kayla to Quinn. I had Kayla in the original version of the story but decided to go with a Quinntana friendship instead. I tried to edit, but I am not sure if it took! Well, enjoy and review!***

In my haste to meet Quinn, I didn't notice the route I had taken to the coffee shop until I came to a stop at the intersection. I glanced to the right and saw the now dying flowers on the side of the road. My breathing picked up rapidly and I felt myself slip into a now not so unfamiliar memory.

" _Santana Marie," Javier yelled up the stairs, "get down here now!"_

 _I rolled my eyes as I pulled myself up from my bed and made my way downstairs into the kitchen where my parents were sitting angrily at the table._

" _What?" I said smartly, knowing exactly where this was going._

" _Enough of the attitude," Anita spoke from beside my father. "What's this I hear about you getting a detention in Spanish class today?" she finished, looking right at me._

 _I glanced down guiltily, "It wasn't my fault!"_

" _Well then explain," Javier said, not so patiently, raising an eyebrow._

" _Stupid Mr.…" I stopped, noting the unimpressed looks on my parents faces, "...uhm I mean Mr. Pembrook was trying to start a lesson by teaching us the words to_ La Cucaracha _. So I got a little upset." My parents just sat, still staring waiting for me to continue. "In my defense," I started, getting heated, "I didn't expect him to understand what I was even saying. He's not that great at Spanish," I finished angrily. I waited with bated breath and my parents sat unmoving, understandably because I did cuss him out._

" _Santana," my dad said breaking the silence, "there's a reason you are the student and not the teacher."_

" _But!" I started to interrupt._

" _No buts," my mom piped in, "listen to your father."_

" _We taught you respect for a reason," my dad said with a hint of pride in his angry eyes._

" _I know you did," I replied, getting worked up again. "He was unknowingly being racist, so by extension I was defending you both," I said trying to get out of this any way I could but failing miserably, lowering my gaze to my sock covered feet._

" _Grounded," my dad said sternly, causing my head to snap up. "Two weeks," he finished._

" _What?!" I yelled, "That's not fair."_

" _Santana," my mom said calmly, "we're proud of you for standing up for yourself but you know you went about it all the wrong ways."_

" _Ugh whatever," I replied, crossing my arms and huffing loudly._

" _Now your mother and I are going out for dinner," my dad said, standing from the table. "This will give you time to think about what we've taught you about respect. Like your mother said, we're proud of you but what you did was wrong. We love you, always remember that," he finished._

" _Yeah, have fun," I said, turning around and stomping up the stairs and slamming my bedroom door shut._

Two hours had gone by, in which I had calmed down and realized that my parents were right (though I'd never tell them) and I began to wonder what was taking my parents so long. It wasn't until I got the call from my dad's colleague at Lima Memorial that my world came crashing down.

The world around me was spinning and I wasn't able to catch my breath as I sat at the stoplight at the scene of the accident. I tried and failed to catch my breath, clutching the steering wheel until my knuckles were white. I sat for a few more minutes, trying to regain my bearings when a knock on my window startled me. I looked over at my passenger window and saw Quinn pulling on the door handle. Shakily I reached the button and unlocked the door, still trying to calm myself.

"Oh, Santana," Quinn said worriedly, reaching for my hands, still gripping the steering wheel tightly. She pried my hands from the wheel and pulled me close, wrapping her arms around me. "Just breathe," she instructed, "follow my breaths."

It took a few minutes for my breathing to return to normal. I wriggled myself out of Quinn's grip and sat back straight in my seat, noting that Quinn had turned the car off completely.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice coming out shakily.

"We were supposed to meet over twenty minutes ago," Quinn replied, furrowing her brows. "I texted you a few times as I was waiting. I texted Maria and she said you had already left, so I started driving this way to see if you were okay," she finished seriously. I looked down at my phone and saw the messages and closed my eyes tightly.

"Sorry Q," I started, "I didn't realize I had been driving down this street and then," I trailed off glancing to the side of the road where the makeshift memorial was. Quinn followed my line of sight and smiled sadly.

"Some of the girls from the squad put those there," Quinn explained. "Everyone is worried about you, S," she finished catching my eye.

I stiffened and glared, "tell them I'm fine," I finished, defensively crossing my arms.

"San," Quinn began, "you don't have to act like you're okay in front of me. You're my best friend."

"You're wrong," I said loudly then lowering my voice noticing the hurt look on her face. "About me acting," I clarified quickly, "you know you're my best friend so when I tell you I am fine you should believe me." Quinn looked at me skeptically but nodded none-the-less.

"So," she started, "you're leaving early tomorrow then?"

"Yeah," I replied sadly. "First thing in the morning, it's a pretty long drive." I sat and played with my hands as silence filled the car. Quinn reached over and grabbed my hands, stopping me from fidgeting.

"We're going to be okay," Quinn said, smiling. "Distance doesn't matter when you're as awesome friends as we are," she finished chuckling.

"Damn right," I replied, giggling along. "Now get out of here Q, I needs my coffee," I said pushing Quinn toward the door playfully.

"Fine, I'll be right behind you," Quinn replied getting out of the car and into hers parked behind me. I took one last glance at the items on the side of the row, breathed deeply and restarted my car. I held back a stray tear as I pulled out and continued on towards the Lima Bean, determined to leave all the bad feelings behind.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry about the delay! I moved into a new position at work which has been taking a lot of my time and energy. I'm getting a hang of it all so I should update a little more frequently now. Enjoy! Read and Review!***

After meeting with Quinn, I slowly made my way back into the almost empty house. Maybe Aunt Maria was right. Just because I'm leaving doesn't mean it's goodbye for good. With a sigh that was mixed with sadness and acceptance I greeted my aunt and made my way into my room. I tried to manouever my way through the mountains of boxes but was stopped by a black guitar case loaded with stickers. Taking another deep breath, I lifted the case onto the bare bed and opened the lid slowly. I gently fingered the neck of the black acoustic guitar. I hadn't played since before my parents died. I'm not even sure I can still bring myself to sing. I closed my eyes as the first chords rung through the air. A few seconds went by with the soft sounds reaching my ears. The familiarity of the strings on my fingers allowed a small smile to cross my lips. My parents smiling faces swam to the front of my mind. They always loved when I played. Before I could stop, I found myself singing along, a soft rasp filling my voice.

 _When evening shadows are the stars appear and there's no one here to dry your tears, I could hold you for a million years to make you feel my love._

I sang as tears ran silently down my cheeks. I was so wrapped up in the song that I didn't notice my aunt standing in the doorway. As the last chord ended, I reached down and wiped my tear stained cheeks.

"That was beautiful, mija," she stated quietly.

"Thanks, tia." I said sadly. "Papi loved Bob Dylan," I continued with a tiny smile on my face. I began reminiscing on the days where I would sit on Papi's lap while we listened to his records. He'd sing along, making me laugh when he pretended my arms were his guitar. The next year he bought me my first guitar and I took it everywhere. He wasn't the best player but he taught me the basic chords and for the next few years I taught myself more and more. Then finally for my fifteenth birthday he and Mami brought in the most beautiful guitar I'd ever seen. It was a black Fender with red accents and a silky red strap.

"Santana," my aunt called, breaking me out of my reverie, "we're leaving in three days," she finished nervously. I smiled a little at my aunt's hesitancy.

"Why the hell are you afraid?" I said with a smirk. She smiled back and reached out as if to hug me but instead punched my arm. "What the hell?" I asked shocked but still smiling.

"That's what you get for mocking me," she continued. "Come downstairs, I ordered us pizza. Plus I talked to the lawyer about a few things." I immediately frowned and started to open my moth to ask why when she cut in. "Mija, don't worry. It's mostly good news," she said seeing my frazzled state. She took my hand and led me downstairs when the doorbell rung, signaling the pizza had arrived.

After grabbing my pizza and some water out of the fridge, we sat down and I looked at my aunt expectanly.

"Well the bad news first I guess," she started. "Your trust fund is unable to be accessed until you're eighteen." I nodded my head, I was almost seventeen. "But I will say that you're looking at a lot of money."

"How much is a lot?" I questioned.

"Well, your parents savings plus the life insurance and car insurance money on top of your trust fund they've been saving for you," she paused, "um around nine million." My jaw dropped! I knew we were well off with my dad being a surgeon and my mom's investments. I figured I wouldn't be left with nothing but I didn't realized just how much. "Apparently they were wise investors," Maria finished.

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed. "What am I supposed to do with that?!"

My aunt replied with laughter, "Save it for when you go to school and buy a house. You don't need it now.

"What do you mean?" I asked confusedly.

"Well, with selling the furniture you should have a couple thousand in your account," she said then hesitated.

"What is it?" I asked with panic, recognizing the look on her face.

"We have an offer on the house," she said as my heart dropped. I felt torn. I didn't want to leave but I wanted a fresh start. "And if you accept," she continued, "that money will go into your savings account as well."

"What's the offer?" I asked, suddenly feeling very exhausted.

"$400,000" my aunt stated, "they're a young couple, just married."

I stood up slowly, taking my garbage to the trash and refilling my drink. I turned around and saw my aunts guarded eyes.

"Accept it," I stated simply and walked out.

The next few days flew by quickly. Before I could really grasp what was happening I was hugging Quinn tightly.

"Call me as soon as you get settled," she said seriously, sending a stern look my way.

"Yes mom," I sing-songed with a chuckle, dodging the swift smack she aimed towards my head. "You'll always be my best friend Quinn," I finished seriously, noting the sadness in her eyes turning quickly into unshed tears. She gave me a watery smile and another bone crushing hug before I made my way into my car that was following my aunt and the moving truck. Luckily, Quinn spent the night and we made a couple cd's with all of our favorite songs for the ride.

The long trip didn't go as badly as I figured it would be. With the music blasting, I allowed myself to lose myself in the music and open road. Well, until we hit the city traffic. After bobbing and weaving through the gridlocked New York City streets, we finally made it to the apartment. Looking up at the high rise, I silently thanked my aunt for hiring movers. I only had a few things in my car so I set them by the truck. My aunt quickly gave me directions toward the parking garage and a parking card. I parked and made my way to the elevator. Before I was able to push the floor seven button, I heard a voice yell from the parking lot.

"Hold the elevator!" I quickly stuck my arm out, holding the doors. A girl my age ran into the elevator and turned to me with a giant, toothy grin. "Thanks!"

"No problem," I replied quietly, looking down at my hands.

"You're new here!" she stated in her bubbly voice.

"Uh, yeah I am," I replied shyly. I'm not the quickest to warm up to new people so I stood awkwardly in the corner of the elevator. I watched as she pressed the level eight button and the doors closed. Sensing the girl's eyes on me, I moved my gaze to hers. The instant our eyes met, my breath hitched. Brown eyes met with shockingly blue eyes. I was so entranced by her bright eyes that I missed her talking to me.

"Sorry. What?" I asked embarrassed when I realized she was waiting for a reply. The sound of the tinkling laugh distracted me once more but I was able to catch her question.

"I'm Brittany," she said as cheerful as ever. "Brittany S. Pierce," she continued, then seriously added, "Don't mistake me for Britney Spears, even though I am more talented than her."

I was not sure whether to laugh but the honesty in her voice made me hold in it.

"I'm Santana Lopez," I stated. "I'm sure Britney has nothing on you," I said with a smirk, surprising myself with my boldness. She just smiled and nodded as we continued our journey up. I used the silence to fully take this girl in. She had blonde hair pulled up into a beautifully messy bun, strands falling around her long, thin face. She was wearing grey sweatpants that hung loosely around her hips. I swallowed thickly noticing the thin sliver of milky skin peeking between the hem of her green tank top and waistband. I quickly averted my eyes down and noted her green high top Nikes. She looked like she had just come from the gym or something. I looked up and met her expectant eyes again.

"Um…I like your shoes," I quickly stated, feeling pressured to speak. She smiled brightly at my compliment.

"Thanks!" she replied happily.

We looked at each other for a few seconds as I began to wonder why the ride was taking so damn long. The sound of the bell broke my inter musing.

"I guess I'll see you around," I said to Brittany as I stepped toward the open doors. Before I had any time to react, her arms were around me in a giant hug. My heart skipped as our bodies melded together. Just as I went to hug back after being temporarily disabled in her warm embrace and vanilla scent, she let go and headed back into the elevator.

"Bye Santana!" she chirped as the doors shut. I was left standing at the now closed doors in shock.

"Mija!" my aunt yelled from down the hall. "There you are. I thought you go lost," she said with a chuckle. "Come on let's check out the apartment."

I finally broke my staring contest with the elevator doors and turned and smiled at my aunt, storing the strange encounter in the back of my mind.

"Hellz yea!" I yelled as I followed her into the apartment, aka my new home.


	6. Chapter 6

My first thought when I walked in was that it was bigger than I originally had thought. Beside the door was a closet and three steps that led down into a huge living room. My aunt told me she had already had her stuff moved in so it was completely furnished with dark, yet chic, furniture. Crossing through the living room I made my way into the large kitchen with a large breakfast bar. After checking the small pantry off the side of the kitchen, I walked down the hall and peeked into my aunt's bedroom. She had a huge attached bathroom with a closet three times the size of mine back at the old house. I passed a small linen closet as I journeyed down the hall. The bathroom at the end of the hall was just the same size of the one back home so I was relieved. I noticed there was no décor in the room yet.

"I figured you could choose the style in here," my aunt said, walking up behind me.

"Thank you," I said earnestly, immediately thinking of some design ideas to make it feel more like home. I made it a few more paces to the last door and took a breath before opening the door. I had a very large room and a surprisingly big closet. My desk and couch from home were already sitting along the wall. Again, there were no colors or no decorations.

"Aunt Maria," I called down the hall. "I think I'm going to use my old bed stuff for now but I think I need a change." I finished, glancing around the empty room.

"Sounds great, mija," she said happily. "We can even get some paint if you'd like. We'll go to Ikea tomorrow."

With that she walked out. I headed towards the window and noticed I have a fire escape right outside. I looked and noticed I could easily fit a stool out on the platform. I opened the window and climbed out easily. The noisy city held a certain beauty to me with all the giant buildings and bustling crowds. As the sun set over the neighboring buildings I took a deep breath and in that moment I realized that this was my new home. I shed a few tears as I looked into the sky.

"Mami? Papi?" I asked quietly. "I hope you're listening." With another sigh I began, "it's going to be so hard. I miss you both so much. But I want to make you guys proud of me." I was unable to say much more without more tears falling so I finished with a quick, "Te amo, watch over us," before heading into my room just as the movers were bringing in some more boxes.

Throughout the rest of the day, I unpacked all of my clothes and was happy to find that I still had plenty of space in my closet. Around two the movers had finally left around the same time my stomach had started growling.

"I haven't stocked the kitchen yet," my aunt said sheepishly. "But there's a diner right down the street if you're up to it.

"Hellz yeah," I replied quickly. "I could go for a cheeseburger." We both laughed as we made our way out and back toward the elevator. I couldn't help but replay what had happened earlier with Brittany. I was mesmerized at how much I'd like to see her again. I'm not very good at making friends. I have trust issues, okay? But somehow I feel like something is different with this girl. I was shaken out of my thoughts by my aunts voice.

"…we could go first thing in the morning and even get some paint so we can start," she was saying.

"Oh," I replied, "sounds great." I finished with a smile.

My aunt leaned over and quickly hugged me before the door opened. As we walked out the front door the warm air hit my face and I couldn't help but smile.

"Welcome to New York City," my aunt yelled with wide open arms.

After a huge dinner, I was starting to feel the effects of the long day catching up to me.

"Let's go h… uh, to the apartment," my aunt hesitated. I looked at her for a moment, noting the resemblance to my mom, then smile.

"Sure, let's go home" I finished for her, emphasizing the home part. My heart warmed at the sight of her relieved smile.

When we returned to the apartment we went our separate ways and started to wind down for the evening. After a quick shower and a few texts to Quinn, I picked up my guitar case. After tuning it for a few moments, I headed out to the fire escape. I allowed the warm summer air to spread through me as I played a few chords. I quickly got lost in the music and began to sing.

 _New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of there's nothing you can't do. Now you're in New York, these streets will make you feel brand new. Big lights will inspire you. Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York._

As the last chord rung out, I smiled and headed back through the window not realizing that one flight above Brittany was leaning against her window sill smiling just as big.


	7. Chapter 7

I was worried about how I would sleep our first night in the apartment but it had only taken me a few moments to fall into a deep sleep. I awoke at 8:30 the next morning and immediately send a text to Quinn and made my way out onto the fire escape once more. It was a beautifully sunny day so I snapped a picture and sent it to Quinn. I spent a few more moments enjoying the sight of the new day and headed back in to start my own day. Fifteen minutes late, my aunt came in fully dressed.

"Oh good, you're ready," she smiled. "Big day today," she said casually as she reached her hand out to me. A set of keys dangled from her hand.

"Thanks!" I said as I took the keys and pocketed them. "Any good bakeries nearby?" I asked. "My treat," I said as I headed out into the hallway.

After filling up and stopping to get me a permanent subway pass, we headed to Ikea. It didn't take long for me to choose everything including paint. They were going to drop everything off later that evening so we took the time to make a trip to the grocery store. After a few rounds of bickering back and forth over snacks and meals we headed back up the street with junk food laden bags on our arms. We reached the front door with hesitation because of all of the heavy bags. As I struggled to reach forward I heard that same angelic voice from the day before.

"Let me get that," Brittany said, opening the door quickly.

"Thank you," I replied gratefully. As we stepped in the elevator the pain from carrying the items began to set it.

"Here," Brittany said seriously, reaching towards some of the bags. "Let me take a couple. Don't want you to get a hemorrhoid."

"A hernia?" I asked, confused with her word choice.

"Yeah, that's what I said," she giggled in return. She turned to my aunt. "I'm Brittany by the way, I've seen you around the building."

"Yes, I've seen you as well. I'm Maria," she responded politely. "I'm Santana's aunt," she continued.

"I figured you two were related somehow," Brittany said, nodding her head. "We met yesterday, in this elevator funnily enough," the blonde finished with a smile, meeting my eyes again.

Before I could get lost in those crystal blue orbs, the elevator doors opened. With my now free hand, I pulled out my keys and quickly unlocked the door and stepped into the threshold.

"I like what you've done with the place," Brittany said as she glanced around the apartment.

"Uhm, thanks," I said feeling heat brushing up my neck. "You can just set those right here," I said pointing at the table. "Thanks for your help."

"Don't mention it," she replied earnestly. "Here," she said, pulling her phone out of her pocket. "Put your number in here, you know, in case you go for groceries again," she ended with a small smirk. Slowly I reached out and grabbed her phone. My eyes bugged out at the picture on the background. Her screen saver was a giant cat. I mean this thing was huge. "That's Lord Tubbington," she said proudly before reaching over to open her contacts. I quickly typed my number and handed it back to her with a smile on my face.

"You can stay for dinner if you want," I blurted out, once again surprising myself. From the corner of my eye, I saw the look of surprise on my aunt's face at my proposal. The blondes face fell and I immediately felt the need to do something to make her smile again. She didn't look right without a smile on her face I thought to myself.

"It's okay if you don't want to. It's weird I know…" I trailed off.

"No," she began, "I want to but my mom told me to be home for dinner so I technically can't stay," she finished with a defeated look on her face. Again, my need for this girl to not be sad anymore took over.

"Well you can come over after maybe?" I asked, trying not to sound desperate.

"Okay!" she practically yelled. "I'll text you," she said pointing to her phone before wrapping me up in her strong arms again and waving to my aunt who was putting away the groceries and watching us with a strange look on her face. The blonde skipped to out of the door and I let go of the breath I didn't even realize I was holding when I heard the door click shut.

"She seems nice," my aunt said incredulously, yet looking at me carefully. She knew of my hesitance when it came to new people so I wasn't surprised when I noted the confused look on her face.

"Yeah," I agreed. "I figured I'd need to make friends sometime," I finished lamely, cringing internally at my lame excuse. I don't know what was happening but I felt drawn in by this girl. Maybe because she's the only one who has hugged me like that since my parent's died, apart from my aunt of course. Maybe it's her happy-go-lucky attitude. Maybe because when she smiles I can't help but grin. Whatever it is, I am scared. I shake the thoughts collecting in my head and head to the kitchen to help prepare dinner.

As we began clearing our plates I felt a buzz from my pocket.

Unknown #: its Brittany…bitch ;)

I couldn't help the small giggle that passed through my lips at the message.

"What's so funny?" my aunt said, looking down at her clothes in panic.

"It's not you," I said, holding up my phone. "You don't mind if Brittany comes down?"

"Of course not Santana," she replies, "just finish putting these dishes away for me."

I nodded and looked back at my phone.

Me: Hey! What's up?

Brittany: Just finished up dinner.

Me: Me 2. Are u still coming?

Brittany: Sure. I'll be down soon.

Me: Sounds good

I quickly ran to the bathroom to check my reflection but stopped, my brow wrinkling in confusion. Since when was I worried about my appearance? I took a breath and walked back to the living room and began nervously flipping through the channels. I made it through the first 100 channels when there was a small knock on the door. I jumped up and made my way to the door, fixing my hair. I opened the door and saw Brittany standing there with a mega-watt smile on her face.

"Hello!" she said happily, practically bouncing with energy. I was hypnotized by the huge smile on her face. My aunt cleared her throat in the background and I felt heat flush my face as I stepped aside to let the bubbly blonde inside.

"Um, I guess I'll give you a tour," I said lamely.

"Sounds fun!" she nodded, excitedly.

I began showing her around and finally we made it to my room. Before we walked in I turned to her nervously.

"My room's not quite done yet," I said before walking in. I watched carefully as she looked around the room.

"It's gonna be awesome with its finished," she said seriously.

"We're getting the rest of the stuff delivered this evening," I said, beginning to feel the excitement of the blonde run through me as well.

"Sweet," she said happily. "I could help you out if you wanted." I blinked in surprise.

"Well, I guess," I hesitated as she just smiled at me. "I have to get the painting done first."

"Yay!" she said clapping her hands. "You can count on me," she finished with a true smile on her face.

"I know I can," I found myself honestly replying.

We looked at one another for a few moments, but soon the intensity of her gaze made me drop my eyes to the floor. I looked up when I heard her moved to the opposite side of the room. She stood beside my guitar, resting on its stand.

"I heard you," she stated nervously, which caught me off guard. "Last night," she continued, brushing her fingers across the top of the guitar so gently. "You're really good," she said looking me full in the face.

"Oh," was all I managed to say.

"I'm sorry," she squeaked out as her face fell. I heard you singing and I looked out my window." I frowned in confusion, "I live right above you I guess," she finished, dropping her gaze once more. "Sorry," she said one more time in a small voice.

I couldn't take the look on her face anymore so I walked over and put my hand on her arm. I ignored the tingles in my fingers and the rapid beating of my heart with the movement.

"No, its okay," I started. "I was just surprised. I'm not used to much of an audience," I finished bashfully. "Especially when I try to play a cover like Jay-Z," I replied jokingly. Brittany finally looked up, a small smile forming.

"It was amazing, really," she added, looking at my skeptical expression. She reached and grabbed my hand and my breath hitched as she looped her pinky with mine and whispered. "I promise."

As I was thinking of how soft her skin felt against mine, the doorbell rang out. I jumped and pulled my hand from hers

"Mija," my aunt yelled from the living room, "you're things are here!"

Brittany clapped eagerly and ran towards the room as I laughed quietly, following behind determined to shake these strange thoughts of the blonde.


	8. Chapter 8

My aunt and I covered the furniture and set up the paint while Brittany went upstairs to change her clothes. We both set out to change and as we finished up there was a knock on the door. I ran to the door and opened it up and almost choked. Brittany was standing there with her golden locks pulled up in to a messy bun, a tight black tank top and very, very short shorts. My eyes raked up her never ending legs and I gulped. As I finally met her eyes, I noticed her smirking appreciatively. I felt my neck and face heat up, which was becoming a common occurrence around her lately, as I stepped aside to let her in. She giggled quietly and sauntered away towards the bedroom. I couldn't help it as my eyes roamed over her backside. I could have been imagining it but I swore she was swaying her hips even more on purpose.

" _Damnit Santana, what are you looking at?"_ I berated myself. Once again I took a deep breath and made my way back to the room.

In hindsight, plugging in my stereo was probably a bad idea because I started paying more attention to Brittany swaying along to the beat than what I was doing.

"Mija," my aunt yelled, breaking my trance, "pay attention to what you're doing."

I saw the paint dripping on the sheet and mumbled a quick sorry and looked at Brittany who was smirking once more. The next two hours seemed to last forever as I found myself fighting the urge to stare at Brittany dancing. As the las wall was finished, I breathed a sigh of relief. My aunt went to grab some waters when I heard Brittany speak up.

"We missed a spot," she said seriously. I looked around at the walls, now painted a deep grey, confusedly.

"Where do you see that?" I asked.

"Here, let me get it," she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She reached over and before I could react, she smeared paint down my cheek. "Grey," she said, struggling to hold her laughter in, "it's really your color," she finished, busting out in laughter.

"Oh hell no," I said, smiling evilly as I lunged toward Brittany with my brush. A grey paint mark across her forehead started an all out war. I dropped my brush and began chasing the blonde around the room. She turned the corner around the covered desk and started to slip on the sheet. I quickly grabbed her waist and pulled her back into me. Our bodies were flush against each other and my arms were wrapped around her waist and hers gripped my shoulder tightly. Our chests were heaving from the playful activity and maybe something more. Before I know what was happening, my eyes flicked down to her parted, pink lips and then moved up to those stunning blue eyes. We were so close I could count the freckles on her cheeks. We moved closer and I felt her breath on my lips. I took a quick, quivering breath and closed my eyes, preparing to close the distance between our lips.

"Girls," my aunt started, noticing our compromising position. I moved away from Brittany so quickly it was if she burned me. Well, I felt my neck burning so maybe she did. "Uh…" she continued slowly, "I got us waters," she finished, handing each of us a bottle. "What's going on here?" she asked, looking at our paint covered, and still panting bodies.

" _Good question,"_ I thought to myself.

"Paint war," Brittany replied, taking control of the situation when she noticed the panicked look on my face. "I slipped and Santana caught me," she finished, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. I looked at her and nodded along slowly.

"Okay," my aunt said, smirking slightly in my direction. "Let's get cleaned up."

A little while later I walked Brittany to the door.

"I had a lot of fun," she said smiling as I opened the door. "Thanks, San," she finished.

"You just called me San," I stated, blushing slightly.

"Oh, sorry," she said quickly, "it just slipped, I won't…"

"No Brit-Brit," I said as I watched her eyes light up at my nickname, "I like it."

The smile returned full force and she hugged me tightly. I breathed in her vanilla scent and closed my eyes, ignoring the butterflies in my stomach. She let go and I too, reluctantly, released my grip on the blonde.

"Can I text you?" she asked shyly, turning back to face me.

"Sure," I replied with a small smile on my face as she turned back around and headed towards the elevator.

As soon as I closed my door I felt the panic rise within me.

" _What just happened?"_ I thought to myself. _"I was going to kiss her, what am I going to do?"_ I continued my inner ramblings for a few minutes, all the time worrying I had just ruined everything. " _She'll never want to see me again."_ I just finished my last thought when my phone buzzed from my pocket.

Brittany: Can't wait to see you again, San!

I breathed a sigh of relief but still continued my inner musings despite the text. _"Maybe I was wrong but I still have to be more careful. I don't like girls. I'm not g… NO! It was just the heat of the moment."_ I tried to convince myself.

After my long winded debate with myself, I felt thoroughly exhausted as I headed to get cleaned up. After a much longer shower than expected due to the large amount of paint in my hair, I grabbed my blankets and made myself a bed on the couch for the night while my bedroom walls dried. I flipped through the channels until I felt my eyelids get heavy. As I rolled onto my side my phone buzzed again from beside me.

Brittany: Goodnight San! Sweet dreams! xo

Me: Goodnight Brit-Brit!

My face flushed and I smiled to myself as I fell quickly into a peaceful sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

***Hello everyone! This, if I haven't already mentioned, is my first fic. I know I'm not pouring out pages upon pages of masterpieces but I'm learning! I look forward to your reviews! Enjoy***

I awoke the next morning when the scent of bacon assaulted my senses. Groggily, I opened my eyes and reached for my glasses that I decided to put on last night, foregoing contacts. I walked, zombielike, to the kitchen and sat down.

"Good morning, sunshine!" my aunt said loudly.

"Must you be so loud?" I mumbled back, glancing at the clock. "It's only 7am. That's practically the middle of the night."

"You know, you remind me of myself at your age," Aunt Maria started, she said smiling as she reminisced. "I was never a morning person," she paused, "that is until I discovered the wonders of espresso," she finished, holding up her coffee mug. I rolled my eyes and pulled the plate of bacon and eggs she placed on the table in front of me. "So what are your plans for today, mija?" she asked curiously.

"Not sure," I replied honestly, trying not to think about Brittany. "I'll probably get my room set up since the paint should be dry."

"Good idea," she agreed. She sat down beside me and stole a piece of bacon from my place, causing me to turn and glare. She munched loudly and I laughed shaking my head. "Mija," she said once she swallowed, gaining my attention again, "I know it's a big city, but I trust you if you wanted to explore a little. This is your new home," she finished, this time not even stumbling over the word home. "We talked about the train and the bus routes you needed to take." I nodded, my aunt was very trusting and I appreciated that. I thought for a few moments as I finished my breakfast.

"Yeah, it's a nice day out today. Maybe I'll check out the neighborhood," I said as I washed my place and placed it back in the cupboard. My aunt gathered her keys and briefcase.

"I'm off to work," she said, placing her phone in her pocket. "I'll be home around 5. If you go anywhere just text me or leave a note," she finished seriously, grabbing her purse and kissing my temple gently as she headed out the door.

Now that I was wide awake, I went and put my room back together. It took about an hour and a half to get everything back into its place. When I was finally satisfied, I grabbed my guitar and stepped out onto the fire escape. I hoped Brittany's window was closed this time as I began to play softly.

 _When I look into your eyes, it's like watching the night sky or a beautiful sunrise. There's so much they hold….I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough. I'm giving you all my love, I'm still looking up. I -won't give up._

As the song ended and the final note was ringing through the city air, my mind went immediately to Brittany. I've only known her for a few days but I feel like I've known her forever, which scares the hell out of me. I'm not used to things quite happening like this. Even with Quinn it took months for us to get close but this _girl_ is changing everything. I tried shaking thoughts of the blonde from my mind but it wasn't working. I soon felt the urge to look down and what I saw surprised me. It was Brittany running full speed out of the building towards the subway station at the corner, her long blonde hair flowing behind her. I chuckled to myself as I pulled my phone out.

Me: You're a pretty fast runner

I picked my guitar back up and kept strumming quietly, singing along until my phone buzzed.

Brittany: Are you stalking me? (;

Me: You wish. I saw you running.

Brittany: Maybe I do. (:

My heart fluttered looking at the text. I felt my cheeks flush as another text came through.

Brittany: I teach a dance class at the rec and I didn't want to miss the early train.

Me: That explains a lot

I remembered her dancing along to the radio when we were painting. I tried not to stare but she was so fluid with her movements that I was in awe.

Brittany: What's that mean?

Me: Nothing

Brittany: I'm done at 1. Want to hang?

Me: Ok!

Brittany: Sweet. Text ya later! Xo

Feeling oddly light after the exchange, I headed back into my room and sat down on my bed and picked up the photo on my bedside table. It was me and my parents, all laughing, at our annual end of the school year barbeque just about a month before the accident. I dried the few tears that managed to escape and placed the picture back down and headed into the bathroom to shower and prepare for the rest of the day.

Hoping that Brittany would show me around, I dressed for the beautiful day. I grabbed black shorts, a tank top and my high top Nikes. I threw my hair up into a messy, yet sexy ponytail and grabbed my Ray Bans before heading back out to the fire escape to wait for Brittany to text me.

Minutes passed when I heard music pumping out loud from above me. Curious, I walked up the flight of stairs and peeked into the window and felt my throat go dry and head shoot straight to my core. Brittany was dancing around her room singing along with the music, using her hairbrush as a microphone. That was absolutely adorable but that wasn't what had be feeling all bothered. She was dancing in bright blue boy shorts with yellow ducks and a matching bright blue sports bra. I watched her back muscles flexing along with her movements as I scanned down to her toned calves, dancing along to the beat. I gulped and quietly made my way down the stairs.

" _What's wrong with me? I wasn't checking her out, I was just surprised by her outfit,"_ I tried convincing myself. I swore at myself and went back inside and saw a text notification, of course from the girl one floor up that had my pulse racing.

Brittany: Just got back. What do you want to do today?

Me: I thought you could show me around? If you want

Brittany: Sounds perfect. I'll be down soon!


	10. Chapter 10

I quickly ran to the bathroom, much to my own frustration, checking my appearance again. _"Why do I care so much?_ " I asked myself. A knock on the door made me jump and rush to the living room. Before the door was open entirely, a pair of arms were wrapped around me, the scent of vanilla overwhelming me slightly. I tried not to think of her half naked body as my hands felt her defined back muscles. I took a deep, calming breath and let go.

"Let's go," I said. She took my hand and dragged me to the elevator the moment I had the door locked behind us. When we got into the elevator I expected her to drop my hand but instead she locked her pinky with mind and smiled widely.

"This is going to be the best day ever!" she said in her infectious, bubbly tone.

"I think you're right Brit," I replied as she squealed and hugged me one more time. This time I let myself relax into the embrace.

We headed out the doors, the sunlight refreshing our skin as we walked pinky in pinky, down the block.

"I guess this is our neighborhood," she said seriously. "The diner is a cool spot, we usually hang out there."

"We?" I asked nervously, not sure if I was ready to meet a bunch of new people.

"When you are ready," Brittany started, noticing my slight hesitation, "there are some people I'd like you to meet." I nodded and followed her along and pushed my insecurities into the back of my mind for now. A couple blocks down we made our way into a small park with a tiny pond. "I love ducks!" she quipped from my side. She released my pinky and skipped over to the edge of the water and sat down on the bench there, giggling at the splashing animals. Smiling fondly, I made my way over and sat next to her.

After a surprisingly comfortable silence the blonde turned her head towards me with a curious look on her face.

"Where are you from, San?" she asked interestedly.

I felt myself go rigid at the simple question. I knew this conversation would come up eventually but it didn't make me feel any more at ease. A quick look at Brittany for reassurance and a deep breath I began.

"I'm originally from Lima, Ohio. I'm here with my aunt now," I started, voice slightly shaking. Brittany, again, noticed my hesitation so she locked her pinky in mine. I felt a little more at ease as I continued. "A few weeks into the summer my parents were in an accident," I began explaining, for the first time, out loud. I was uneasy that I was telling this stranger my story but was calmed again when I felt her squeeze my pinky slightly. "It was a drunk driver, they were killed on impact," I finished quietly.

"Oh San," Brittany said quietly, wrapping her arms around me. "I'm sorry."

I pulled back from the embrace and hated the look of sadness I saw on her face.

"It's okay," I continued, "I know they're watching over me," I finished. I wasn't in denial or anything, I have come to terms that they were gone. I got that resilient quality from my mother.

"Of course they are," Brittany agreed.

I gave her a small smile before she delved into easier topics like hobbies, school and friends.

"So you're telling me your cheerleading coach was pretty much a monster?" Brittany asked in disbelief.

Laughing loudly I nodded. "I learned a lot from Sue Sylvester," I admitted.

"Whatever you say, San," she said jokingly. "Do you miss Quinn?" she continued.

"Yeah," I affirmed sadly, "she's my best friend, one of my only true friends," I said, explaining my hesitancy when it comes to letting people in.

Before I knew it, an hour had passed talking about my life in Ohio.

"Wow," I said, trying to turn the conversation away from myself. "Who knew I had such an exciting life," I said sarcastically.

"I like getting to know you," Brittany replied earnestly. "Let's go get lunch," she stood and put her pinky out toward me, "my treat."

"Then it's your turn to spill, blondie," I said half menacingly. Brittany just laughed heartily and locked her pinky with mine as we headed to the diner.

We ended up sitting in a booth in the corner of the diner for most of the afternoon. I learned that Brittany loved to dance and had been dancing since she was a little girl. She was a senior like me and she and her friends were part of her schools' Glee club.

" _So you can sing and dance? Is there anything you can't do?"_ I thought to myself.

She tried her best to describe her friends but I was having a hard time following. Apparently she has a robot friend named Artie or something?

"You'll just have to meet them," she finished seriously with a small pout on her face. I reluctantly agree nut the huge smile on Brittany's face made my decision a little easier to handle.

After lunch we made our way back to the apartment so we could figure out what we were going to do about meeting her friends. After a half an hour of her vigorously texting, which was just adorable by the way, she clapped excitedly. I looked up at her nervous and expectant.

"We're going bowling!" she sang out. I groaned internally because of course she'd choose something I suck at. "Don't worry," she started, "it'll be fun!" Unable to stop the giant grin forming on my face at her excitement, I found myself agreeing.

"It's a date!" she finished, getting up and dancing over to the stereo, turning it on full blast. I sat, frozen. Date? I watched as she moved fluidly- about the room, singing along. I was impressed with her voice. It wasn't imposing or grand but it just fit perfectly with the blonde, it didn't even matter.

Once again, I found myself hypnotized by the dancing girl. Thinking back to my totally non-creepy peeping tom incident before, I felt my skin begin to warm. To my surprise, she pulled me up and began dancing around me, dipping and turning. Noticing my stillness, she grabbed my hands and spun me around with a goofy look on her face. We giggled like little girls until the song changed.

A slow song came on and instead of letting my hands go, she once again surprised me by pulling me close and swaying slightly to the music. For what felt like the millionth time, I was captivated by gorgeous blue eyes. I glanced down at her lips as she moved closer so I could feel her warm breath on my lips. We were so close to touching but once again a sound broke us apart. I stepped back so quickly I almost tripped reaching for my phone that was blaring from my mattress.

I looked at Brittany sheepishly before answering, "Hello?"

"Mija," came my aunt's voice from the other end, "how's your day going?"

I cleared my throat, "Uhm fine, just hanging out with Brittany."

"That's good," she continued, "I just wanted to let you know I might be late coming back from work."

"That's fine," I said, smiling at Brittany's silent exploration of the rest of my room. "Brit is taking me bowling. She's going to introduce me to a few of her friends I guess."

"Oh Santana," my aunt replied enthusiastically, "that's great to hear. I was worried you were going to be a lonely."

"Aw shucks, Tia," I joked, "you're such a softie," I finished, smiling brightly at the sound of Brittany's giggle from beside me.

"Shut the hell up!" she replied laughing, "I'll see you later tonight. I love you sweetheart."

"Love you too," I replied as I ended the call.

A small silence hung in the air before Brittany broke it.

"Wanna get ready?" she asked, pulling me to my feet before I could even answer. I couldn't help but grin as she led me to the closet.


End file.
